CITY SERIES Chaney looks to make a run at 5th-straight playoff berth

Cowboys coach Ron Berdis is concerned about a move to the Steel Valley Conference.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Over the past 15 years, Chaney's dominance of the City Series has become so common it's almost, well, boring.
Many people take it for granted. Ron Berdis doesn't.
"I'm fortunate because I'm surrounded by guys who buy into what we do," said Berdis, who is entering his 18th year as head coach. "We've maintained a nucleus of kids who have bought into a blue-collar work ethic.
"Of course, that's a little easier to do when you've had some success."
Success? You better believe it.
Since 1989, the Cowboys have made the playoffs eight times -- including the last four years -- and have lost just one league game. East beat Chaney in the regular season in 1997, although the Cowboys later avenged that loss in the regional final.
Dominance
They've won six straight City titles and 13 of the last 14.
"Success breeds success," Berdis, who also graduated from Chaney High, said. "Once we started to take off, things started to roll."
Since taking over at Chaney in 1988, Berdis has seen a dramatic change in the City Series' makeup. South and East have closed. Canton Timken joined, but will leave after this year. And, starting in the spring, the three remaining schools (Chaney, Rayen and Wilson) will join the Steel Valley Conference in all sports except football.
Berdis isn't happy about the move to the SVC, especially since many expect the City schools to eventually begin league play in football when Rayen and Wilson are closed and the new east side school opens for the 2006-07 school year.
"The coaches were thrown into the Steel Valley without any consultation or any say in the decision," he said. "I know football isn't in it, but you've gotta believe it's soon going to be.
"And I don't necessarily believe it's a good thing."
Of the City's 24 varsity programs last school year, only three had winning records: Chaney's baseball and football teams and Rayen's girls basketball team.
"And now we're going to align with the Steel Valley?" Berdis said. "If they would have asked me and the building principal, we would have vehemently opposed the move. But we're just soldiers here. We're going to play the hand dealt to us."
The Steel Valley has changed dramatically since Boardman and Fitch left to join the Federal League. Warren JFK started competing in all sports except football last spring and Beaver Local will do the same starting this spring.
Wilson and Rayen aren't ready to compete in the SVC in football, but many feel that will change after the consolidation.
Berdis isn't so sure.
"At best, you're going to have two schools with average Division II numbers," he said. "And we're really starting to feel the crunch with schools around us starting open enrollment and the Catholic schools hand-picking one or two of our better players out of junior high."
Berdis also isn't thrilled with playing Ursuline or Mooney, who, fair or not, are always dogged by recruiting allegations.
"The fact that we don't schedule them has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with principle," said Berdis. "It's not an even playing field. When the deck is stacked against you, you've gotta do what's best for your kids."
Program development
Like most successful teams, Berdis has a year-round weight program -- Chaney usually has five coaches in the weight room in the off-season -- and gets to know the kids in the program while they're still in middle school.
"Success breeds success," Berdis said. "I'm a lucky guy. I've been fortunate enough through the years to have good coaches and tough kids."
This year is no different. The Cowboys return 14 lettermen and, provided they stay healthy, should continue their recent run of success. If everything goes right, Chaney will find itself with another league title and its fifth-straight playoff berth.
And there's nothing boring about that.